Counting Blessings

17 01 2014

Yellow Tulips

 

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, Psalm 103:1-2 ESV

We have so much to be thankful for. Counting our blessings is one way to be mindful of God’s goodness to each of us. His grace, His unmerited favor and love encircle our lives that result in so many blessings. The powerful lens of gratitude is an opportunity to look at our situations with a new revelation on a daily basis. He is a great God and continues to make a way for us even in the darkest hour and most difficult situations. I remember during testimony service, the Saints would share their thanks for portions of health, life and strength, for having a mind to serve God and the gift of salvation and being filled with the Holy Ghost. The recitation was often repetitive but reflecting on it now, I realize its importance. We can thank God for His blessings each day. It is impossible to enumerate them all but taking the time each day to reflect on His goodness and giving the Lord praise strengthens our journey. Creating a gratitude journal is a wonderful way of capturing the Lord’s blessings. Writing daily at least three things that you are thankful for establishes a pattern of reflection and our response of gratitude to God for His goodness. He is good. He is worthy. And we are thankful. Bless His Holy Name.

O my soul, bless GOD. From head to toe, I’ll bless his holy name!
O my soul, bless GOD, don’t forget a single blessing! Psalm 103:1-2 MSG


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Full of Hope

16 01 2014

winter snow

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 NIV

Many years ago, I described a situation as “hopeless” to my Grandfather. It was a term that I thought accurately summed up a set of circumstances that were not going to work out well. Even reflecting on it now, I don’t recall the topic or the situation. It was my Grandfather’s reaction to my carefree use of the word hopeless that has stuck with me. In strong terms, my Grandfather told me that I should never say something is hopeless. In a mournful tone, he said that if you don’t have hope you don’t have anything. It is advice and a truth that has stayed tucked away in my heart and mind, where my hope, faith and love are nurtured and expanded.

As God’s children, we can put our trust in the Lord. Hope or expectation that something will change for the better is a position of faith that all believers should walk in. We serve a God that has provided the ultimate victory for His children. No matter what our situation we can be filled with hope that our God is working things out on our behalf and for our good. We can walk in hope, faith and peace as we put our trust in Him. We pray for God’s hope to fill our hearts today as we look for victorious living and victory to be evident in our lives.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13


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A Strong Tower

15 01 2014

  Barcelona 2013 032

 

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10

I am so thankful that we serve a living God that is available to us to provide refuge and protection. The world we live in today seemingly has so many pitfalls and dangers that seek to destroy our lives – our families, our marriages, our hope and our peace. But when we turn to the Lord, He provides refuge. We can go to Him in prayer, meditate on His word and lift our voices in praise and find ourselves enveloped in His presence. There we can experience peace, renewed spirit and strength and receive direction for the next step. Whatever we are facing, we can turn to our Father – The Name of the Lord is a Strong Tower.


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Staying in Faith

14 01 2014

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Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1 New Living Translation

You may be in a season where situations of what you see and hear seem so contrary to the desires for our lives. Brokenness in relationships, finances, jobs and health seem so common place. As believers we are compelled to stay in faith. It is easy to say our trust is in the Lord, when everything is moving along fine. The challenge comes when we appear to be troubled on every side. Is our first response to recall the promises of God? Do we remember that He will supply our needs, or that He will keep us in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him? Do we remember that He said that He would rebuke the devourer for our sakes? Do we walk in the knowledge that He is God and He is in Control? I am working on basing my first response on His word. Staying in faith He provides the strength, courage and peace that we need. He is faithful to be with us every step of the way. We give Him the Honor and the Glory for each blessing.


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Hana

13 01 2014
Road to Hana

Road to Hana

 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6

The legendary road to Hana reportedly has more than 600 turns. It is a beautiful journey that starts with a coastal winding road that quickly gives weigh to one sharp turn after another that follows the shoreline of the Hawaiian Island of Maui. My husband and I ventured on this historic fifty-mile trip with a map and a camera hoping to capture the many beautiful sights and views promised along the way. On our journey, we shared an experience that we will treasure for a life time.

The road to Hana mimics life’s journey in so many ways. It is an ancient pathway that requires perseverance and faith to make it to your destination. The roadway was full of twists and curves with many turns on steep cliffs where you could not see what was around the bend. Moving forward required having faith and courage to travel the next section of the road. At some points the road narrowed to one lane for two-way travel. These segments required slow travel, patience and courtesy for fellow travelers taking turns to continue on the journey. Those on the journey moved at different paces. Some moved at a glacial pace, stopping to observe all of the natural splendor available along the way. There was much to see: the lush greenness of the rainforest, waterfalls cascading into streams and rivers, and the amazing views of the beaches and coastline. Others were in a hurry to get to their destination and seemed inpatient with those who were trying to take it all in. Like life’s journey, a good balance of perseverance, faith and a steady pace seemed to be what was required for a successful trip.

Our passage today is a reminder to put our trust in the Lord. Whatever life has in store for us, twists, turns or the unexpected around the bend, we can put our trust fully in Him. He directs our path. He provides for our needs. He is our Heavenly Father who makes a way for us for every challenge along life’s journey. We can put our faith in Him to provide for us and strengthen us for the road ahead. We can be thankful along the way for each blessing that He has provided; family, friends and the beauty of love. Whatever our journey has in store for us our trust is fully in Him.


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You Have My Praise

3 01 2014

winter snow

 

I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
I will be filled with joy because of you.
I will sing praises to your name, O Most High. Psalm 9:1-2

My heart is full of praise for our Savior, Jesus Christ. He continues to bless us in ways we could not have imagined. Peace, joy and faith empower our journey to keep moving forward and we are thankful. When I think about His goodness and His mercy that surrounds my life, my living and those I love, I am so humbled and so grateful. I praise Him for who He is… our Creator, our Mediator and our Ambassador of peace. I praise Him for what He does… He provides redemption for my sins and shortcomings and provides renewal for my mind, body and soul. I praise Him what He has yet to do… continuing to be God, faithful to His Word and His abundant promises. We thank Him and praise Him for each blessing, each miracle big and small that makes my life possible.


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Fan the Flame

2 01 2014

Flames

 

This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. II Timothy 1:6-7 NLT

 

We were each born with a God-given purpose. We are equipped with unique abilities that give us all the tools and talents needed to accomplish our assignment. During our life’s journey, we explore and nurture our gifts as we accept the call on our lives for God’s service. We are all called to serve. We may not be called to proclaim God’s Word from a pulpit but in our families, our communities and in our interactions with one another we are to demonstrate God’s love in ways that fulfill our purpose. Our hands, our words, our tasks emanate His love, His compassion, His mercy that exemplify His Son, Jesus Christ. What a tremendous gift to the world to use the gift that is inside of you. You have what it takes to accomplish the task and to carry it through. He made you for this task. He has given you the tools and the talents to make it happen. You are empowered, careful not to embrace fear but to walk in confidence of the God we serve. Our passage today reminds us to keep our gifts active, alive and on fire. We are to fan the flames within us to keep our gifts fueled with the air that it needs to grow and to shine bright. We fan the flames today within us to use our gifts for His Glory.


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Starting Strong

1 01 2014

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“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.” Joshua 1:6-8
Launching a new year we want to start out strong. We want our initial days to set a firm foundation to allow us to thrive in the year ahead. In our heart, mind and soul, we want to be strong in our faith and in our determination to walk in His purpose for our lives. The passage for today is a reminder of the Lord’s instructions to Joshua as he moves into leadership of God’s people. Joshua is called to be both strong and courageous. I believe each of us is called to be strong and courageous in our walk with the Lord. Strong in our faith and confident in the God that we serve. We can place our trust fully in Him to lead us, to guide us and to provide strength when we need it. Even when our strength falls short, His strength is perfected in our weakness. Courage requires healthy doses of confidence to walk were the Lord is leading and to stand flat-footed in the face of adversity. We can stand strong when we are careful to obey God’s Word and to stay focused on His path for us ahead. Detours to the left or to the right create havoc in our lives. We are proclaiming strength and courage today to walk in His purpose. We are proclaiming clear focus on His leading and His Word. We will be strong and courageous in 2014.


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Turning the Page

31 12 2013

seedlingRemember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18-19 ESV

In the continuum of life, we are blessed with time increments that allow us to create new starts. The 24 hours in a day, the Mondays that mark a new week, and the turn of the seasons each gives us a chance to turn the page and start anew. Today, we are preparing to turn the page on the 365 days of last year. All the triumphs, challenges and transitions of the year will soon come to a close. Hopefully, last year was a time of walking in faith, steadfast in our purpose and experiences of God’s love, peace and joy were part of our everyday living. It could be that for some of us the blessing of survival and resilience was a recurring theme of the year. As we look to a new day in a new year, we can all share our thanks to God for His goodness in allowing us to cross the finish line of 2013. We may be a little frayed along the edges or a bit weary in our spirits but the hope of tomorrow is upon us. A new year marks the beginning of a new start. We can start 2014 with a renewed mind and spirit knowing that God continues to be faithful to His promises. He is faithful to be with us. We are never alone. He promised to lead and guide us, as we are careful to listen for His direction. He said that He would provide for each of our needs. He is Jehovah, Jireh. The fruit of the Holy Spirit remains available to us love, peace, joy, forbearance, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and discipline. We have such treasured blessings to help us face whatever tomorrow may unfold. We thank God for the blessings of last year as we turn the page and stand in faith for the blessing to come.

Forget what happened in the past, and do not dwell on events from long ago.
I am going to do something new. It is already happening. Don’t you recognize it?
I will clear a way in the desert. I will make rivers on dry land. Isaiah 43:18-19 GWT


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Thankful

30 12 2013

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Shout to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with joy;
come before him with singing.
Know that the Lord is God.
He made us, and we belong to him;
we are his people, the sheep he tends.

 Come into his city with songs of thanksgiving
and into his courtyards with songs of praise.
Thank him and praise his name.
The Lord is good. His love is forever,
and his loyalty goes on and on.  Psalm 100

 

I am giving thanks for this time and this place.  I am here because of the blessings of the Lord.  He has provided this journey for me and I am thankful.  I can rejoice with praises in my heart for He is God.  I know that the Lord is God.   He is our creator and knows our purpose.  He knows everything about us including the hair on our heads and even the tears that fall from our eyes.  He is God and we belong to Him.  We are His people.  I am His child.  He is God and in Him there is no lack.  He provides for His sheep, for every need and is able to even provide for the desires of our hearts.  We belong to Him.  He leads and guides us.  We can put our full trust in Him.  We can thank Him for His goodness.  Songs of praise and thanksgiving can fill our hearts and come forth through our lives.  He is good.  He is good and He is great.  His love for us never ends and endures forever.  We are thankful.


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